Chancellor Carranza, Lincoln Center Announce Record High Number Of Students Participating In Arts Audition Boot Camp

NEW YORK – Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza and Lincoln Center Education (LCE) today announced that a record number of students from across New York City are taking part in a two-week, intensive training program in preparation for arts high school auditions this fall. In its fifth year, the Middle School Arts Audition Boot Camp, hosted by the DOE and LCE, will develop skills and provide resources to over 250 students who will audition for a high school arts program in the fall. The program kicks off today with partners from Lincoln Center Education, Carnegie Hall, Studio in a School, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Julliard, and New York Philharmonic.

“I have firsthand experience in the transformative power of arts education, and I’m thrilled we are offering resources and training for more students this year and continuing our focus on equity in education,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza. “Our partnerships have a proven track record of success, and create an invaluable opportunity that prepares students on their path to rigorous arts education in our schools.”

“Lincoln Center was founded on the principle that the arts should be a civil right, and therefore we have a responsibility to the city and its public-school system,” says Russell Granet, Lincoln Center’s Acting President, formerly Executive Vice President of Lincoln Center Education. “Our commitment to having a positive impact on society and contributing to the wellbeing of communities across New York City is made evident by the Arts Audition Boot Camp and our partnership with the Department of Education.”

Audition Boot Camp provides free support and training for students entering 8^th grade who are auditioning for and applying to arts-based schools or programs in New York City public schools. Artists from partner organizations and teachers from the DOE work together to instruct and coach students from Title I middle schools in dance, theatre, instrumental or vocal music, and visual arts, providing one-on-one support and group coaching in audition and portfolio training. Students also participate in master classes, attend performances, and observe other artists’ work.

Since 2014, the Audition Boot Camp has helped hundreds of students navigate the high school application process and receive offers to arts-based high schools across New York City. In the 2017-2018 school year, nearly all (214 out of 220) of the participants that applied to a high school arts program received an offer.  More than half were from a screened arts high school, 63 of whom received an offer to LaGuardia, more than twice as many students as last year.

Students and their families will have the opportunity to attend information sessions on the high school application process and receive guidance on finding the arts-based high school or arts program that best fits their needs. The two-week program runs from July 30 through August 10, meeting daily from 9:00am to 1:00pm. Free breakfast and lunch are served, and a free MTA student MetroCard is provided to each participating student.

“We’re thrilled to have received the most students ever enrolled in the Audition Boot Camp, providing more students the opportunity to apply to an arts-based high school, said Paul King, Executive Director of the Office of Arts and Special Projects. “The arts are an invaluable part of an education and we look forward to continuing to support our students on their way to success.”

“Hosting the visual arts component of Arts Audition Boot Camp is a highlight for me every year,” said Dr. Lisa Mars, Principal of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School. “Students who participate in this program have such tremendous talent.   Seeing them refine their skills in preparation to succeed at one of this City’s incredible arts programs is such a joy. I have no doubt this year’s participants will experience similar success at their auditions this fall.”  

To conclude the two-week Audition Boot Camp, students participate in simulated mock auditions in front of judges from cultural institutions across the City, including the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, Carnegie Hall and the New York Philharmonic. Prior to the high school auditions in the fall, students also have the opportunity to return for additional coaching and supplementary sessions.